The Attack of the Rubber Chicken! ~ Part One

No, not THAT kind of rubber chicken! Not the novelty store goofy-looking bird...what I mean is a truly stretchable, prodigious poultry product. Recently, while riding a wave of thrifty-ness, I wondered if I could get three meals, a snack, and stock out of one...just one chicken. What follows is photographic proof that it can, in fact, be done.  Keep in mind, that if you work for a living, this endeavor must be a weekend thing, unless you are fond of staying up all night cooking.  First, take a fresh, plump, healthy-looking bird, and send him to the showers...

That's right.....gives the phrase "bird bath" a whole new meaning! Pat him dry with paper towels, and remove the little "fun baggie" containing the gizzard, heart, liver and other offal. More on that in a moment...rinse the inside of the bird, as well.

Now, line your work surface with parchment paper, plastic wrap, or what you have on hand, to make clean up easier later, and grab ye some kitchen scissors or poultry shears. WHAT? You don't HAVE those? Oh....my....gosh. Put that mouse down and RUN, don't walk, and buy them, immediately. I cannot even emphasize enough what a treat it is to have these in the kitchen. When I think of the endless hours I spent painstakingly hacking wings in two (for buffalo wings, for instance), I want to scream remind everyone what a time-saving, invaluable tool it is, indeed.

For dissection 101...begin by removing the legs by cutting downward at the point where they meet the body of the chicken, like so...

Pull them back from the body, and cut off, including the thigh...(squeamish readers and vegetarians may be excused from the classroom now).

Separate the drumstick from the thigh by simply looking at the leg, and slicing appropriately...you know what a drumstick looks like, right? Okay then, be confident!

And....unless you have some sort of mutant bird on hand, you will be left with exactly two...that's right, two drumsticks, and two thighs.....exhibit "A"......

Take those wonderful scissors, and snip off the wings, right at the shoulder joint....

And, easy as pie, snip them in two...reserving the very tips for your chicken stock...

Let's deal with what is left of the bird..take your knife, and run it under the rib cage, to separate the breasts from the rest of the chicken.

You will then have the remains of the bird, and the breasts...separate them with your shears

Then, take your shears...and cut the whole breast into two...right down the center...

Pull the skin off, and voila! You've got chicken breasts!

Take your (lovely and sharp, I'm sure) knife, and run it under the bones, to make the breasts boneless...don't throw that away...that's for the stock!

Now you have a properly parted-out chicken...

Two of everything, dontcha know. Now, prepare yourself for the icky bits....the bits that are going to make delicious, flavorful chicken stock. 

You've got the wing tips there, the back bone, the heart & gizzard and those rib pieces from the breast. Keep the liver aside, and freeze it, to make something else with...it is too strongly flavored for stock. Place all the icky bits into a stock pot with cold water...and plenty of it, too.

Then, take these ingredients...an onion stuck with three cloves, a few teaspoons of kosher salt, celery, parsley, carrot, whole peppercorns and bay leaf and.....

Add them to the pot. No, you do not need to cut up the celery or carrot....they came to the party just to give their flavor. Place them in the pot, and bring to a boil...

Now, where was that snack? Oh, yes...first brown up those wings...

Add butter, hot sauce and cider vinegar....

Let them bathe in that buffalo sauce for about eight minutes on medium heat, then, throw them in the grill pan, to get a good crisp on both sides..

Mix these ingredients...Two tablespoons each of mayo and sour cream, a teaspoon of worcestersauce, and a couple tablespoons of blue cheese

Mix in a little bowl. Or in the case of this Pixie, a little ramekin....hey, it's only me here....remember our Pixie-Portions now, so we do not pack on the poundage..

Place on plate with celery sticks, and a pretty celery leaf garnish...and enjoy while your stock is starting to come to a boil.

Delicious! Now, back to the job at hand....the chicken stock. In most recipes, you will read the phrase "skim the scum off the top when the stock starts to boil". This....is what it looks like..

And when it is too fine to be scooped up with a tablespoon, I go straight to a fine mesh sieve, like this....

When all the "scum" has been skimmed, and your stock is sufficiently bubbling away...this is how clear it should look....

It's a little hard to see with all that steamy goodness going on here, but you get the drift...there should be no more foamy stuff at the top. After a good hour of simmering (add water if it gets low, and partially cover to avoid losing more liquid), recipes tell us to strain the stock, while pressing hard on the solids. Here's how I do it;

With a wooden spoon, in a flexible colander, over another pot. Once strained, place in the refrigerator to cool overnight. Look at how much stock this one birdy made!

I needed a cup of chicken stock for the recipe I made that night, so I kept it in the measuring cup in the fridge...ready and waiting for me.  Why do we refrigerate the stock overnight?  See if you can guess by looking at the "after refrigeration" shot.

That's right...we skim the remaining fat off the top, then freeze in one or two-cup portions for our recipes. But, you knew that my little Pixie smarties! Right? Thought so.

What "basic" recipe did you think you had down pat, and then found out later, that you were missing something? A step? An ingredient? Did it turn out just as well, anyway?

Stay tuned for how we continue after stock and a snack...to make THREE WHOLE MEALS out of our wonderful, rubber chicken. AND....a visit from Kitchen Angel...and, just a hint...the first meal out of the rest of our bird, also had THIS involved....

A romantic, dinner-for-two shrimp cocktail appetizer...with a twist! I'll tell you what that twist is next time! Eat well, my friends, and stretching a chicken means you stretch your dining dollar, too. Love and kindness to all,

                                                                         Pixie

An Honest Loaf

Yes, I did actually make Italian ciabatta bread, from scratch! It was an interesting process, as I thought that the day I started the bread, I'd actually be eating it....BUT NO. First, one has to make the "sponge" which is kind of a misnomer in that it is simply a mixture of yeast, sugar, water, and flour (like a sourdough starter, for instance), and you have to let it sit overnight to boot! Here is the "sponge" after mixing, and getting ready to spend the night on my counter - covered with a clean dish cloth...

Now it is the second day, and like all good Pixie-cooks, I've got my ingredients ready to go for the bread...

The "sponge" gets mixed in with some flour and butter in the mixer....

As well as some more yeasty beasties....which have been blooming in some warm milk and sugar.....

Then, the fun actually begins. Mix all until it comes together as a dough...like so....

And, when making doughs, and the recipe says to mix until something has come together and is leaving the sides of the bowl clean.....this is what it looks like....

Then, into an oiled bowl for a first hour-and-a-half long rise....

I covered with the clean kitchen towel, and left in a warm, draft-free place while I went on about my day.  Then, you shape them into the standard "slipper" shape (ciabatta means slipper, in Italian), and let them rise again...for about another hour or so.....

At this point, I was thrilled! It was finally getting to look like bread!  Then, into a very hot oven, on a (seriously splooged on) pizza stone for the baking time.....

They were so lovely and large at that point, I could only bake one at a time! Then, the moment I had been waiting and working for.....let there be bread!

Another close up of these beauties.....

And of course, the shot I enjoyed the most.....the slice, warm from the oven, touched with a pat of butter, and ready for yours truly to devour....

The sweet, chewy crust was amazing! What real bread should taste like, everyday. The interior was soft, but not too soft, and made it a perfect bread for soups, sandwiches, bruschetta, and many other uses. When the last of the two loaves got a little stale, I cubed it and placed it into a zip bag, and later blitzed it up in the food processor with herbs & Parmesan and voila! Italian bread crumbs!

What dish takes you more than one day to create? Is it a family tradition? Is it worth the taste and satisfaction you get from making it?

This bread was so amazing, I have zero problems, from this point on, making the sponge while I am preparing supper, and baking the loaves the next day! Eat well, my friends, and stay tuned this week for THE ATTACK OF THE RUBBER CHICKEN!! And, we'll touch base with Kitchen Angel, and see how she is enjoying Spring! Love and kindness to all,

                                                                        Pixie

A Spring in her Step

I may never actually get to post about the Ciabatta bread. To be honest, it was kind of a boring photo shoot...dealing with bread dough and yeast mixtures is about as exciting as watching the grass grow! I will, however, show you some amazing things that have been going on here lately in Pixie Land, and prepare you for the now infamous "Rubber Chicken" post!

Recently, while the rest of the known universe is about to enjoy the freshness of Spring, and a renewal of life-affirming prospects...I went the other direction. Although I was and am thrilled to have left the frozen tundra of Alaska, I have recently experienced a huge sense of loss, concerning my friends, my steady paycheck, and other items I had to leave behind, to begin anew here. I will not go into the boring details, save to thank my Mom, my Sister, and my friends for always being there when I needed to sound off. Thank you for attending my personal pity party, for understanding that even the most charmed life can have it's down-trodden moments. Mostly, for believing in me, and encouraging me to continue to do what I do. Dear Husband deserves the same thanks....

Since I was in the midst of such a funk, my family spoiled me with some care packages containing items not readily found here in beautiful West Virginia...and I'm enjoying them all immensely. One of those care packages contained a lovely jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and I wondered what to do with them. A healthy salad lunch, of course!

I laid the artichoke hearts on top of some regular iceberg lettuce leaves (the crunchy innermost part, my favorite!), and then placed thinly sliced red onion, red bell pepper, goat cheese and pine nuts (also in my care package) over the top. I sprinkled with some extra-virgin olive oil, and a splash or two of some nice balsamic vinegar, and there you have it. 

The Rubber Chicken post is a personal challenge I recently undertook to take one chicken, disassemble it into its component parts, and make it last for 3 meals, and chicken stock. See how I did, soon!

The salad was, and is...delish! Thanks once again to all who came to me in my moments of need, and kept me feeling needed, and happy.  Eat well my friends, thank those who are behind you no matter what, and stay tuned for the Rubber Chicken experiment! Love and kindness to all,

                                                                       Pixie

Marching into the Future

I know, I KNOW....I promised to blog about making ciabatta bread from scratch....but there have been ISSUES! Issues with a capital "I"! Like, closing on our house...oh, and the fact that the little hooskadoo (it's a real word, just ask my former co-workers!) that takes the pictures from the camera (it's an SD memory card)...suddenly just quit on me! Well, fast forward to today, the last day of February, and suddenly, it is working again. Ahhhh the vagaries of the computer chip.  BUT.... I digress....there has also been...THIS

                                                       Oooooh.....cherry pie! AND.....there was THIS!

                                                       
                                                             Coconut Cream Pie

Dear Husband had someone leaving the company, and simply HAD to have desserts to bring to the farewell bash, and yours truly had to get baking! You know how much I just ADORE baking, right? Ah well, it had to be done. I must say, I am getting better at this whole dessert thing. I guess practice does make for irritability perfect results. Ahem.

Eat well, my friends...stay tuned for Spring fun from my kitchen, the ciabatta adventure...and most importantly....THE RUBBER CHICKEN POST! Love and kindness to all,

                                                                              Pixie

Food, Furniture and Fun!

I am postponing my post on ciabatta bread from scratch, as I am too busy staring at the new furniture that arrived in Pixie-land this morning. 

Those who know me will tell you that the road to this day has been long. We, as a family have endured many hard times, both financially and otherwise...and to arrive at this moment is nothing less than a celebration. I've moved around this earth so much, and for so long...that being someplace for more than a year is significant.  I have endured losses that to me, are profound, and irreparable. However, there are times in your life that can indeed heal your heart, and make it soar with hope.  This.......is one of those times.

All past sacrificing, all maniacal, mean people...all are fading in a cloud of peaceful existence. Dear Husband told me many years ago "I will always be there to repaint your rainbow, if ever it should fade" ~  he has always kept his word, and honored me with respect and love. For this alone, I am eternally grateful. 

Sidebar note.......

GOAT CHEESE & HONEY!!!! BEST........SNACK.......EVER!  Why? Well, because goat cheese has a tang to it, and if you've tasted it, you know what I mean. I can take it on it's own...but honey just takes it to a whole new level of yum-factor.

Eat well my friends, stay tuned for the ciabatta post, and look around at the fact that you have something to sit on, and be grateful. Love and kindness to all,

                                                                      Pixie

Mac and What?

I was watching a fascinating piece about The Grilled Cheese Truck on food-related TV recently, and could not believe my eyes! A sandwich, made with macaroni and cheese? With Barbecue pork? And more cheese? And caramelized onions? Oh, it was ON! I had to make it! So the quest began.....could I duplicate this famous and decadent sandwich? Well, here's how I tried.....first make ye some macaroni and cheese...I used mostaccioli, because I thought its length would be good in a sandwich. While it was cooking, I caramelized the onions as well....multi-tasking!

Then, I made a roux with butter and flour...just a regular roux for the cheese sauce...

I selected the cheeses for the sauce...sharp cheddar, Swiss and goat cheese....

Meanwhile, the onions were caramelized, so I put them aside to cool...

Then I added chicken stock and the cheeses to the roux, and stirred to thicken into a cheese sauce..

A few seasonings later...and we've got cheesy goodness!

I put the now-completed mac and cheese into a  pan to cool completely...you must do this step so that you can cut it into squares for your sandwich. There were many mostaccioli that did not make it into the fridge....uh...yeah, it was total snacking  quality control!

I microwaved my leftover barbecue pork rib meat, with some extra sauce thrown in...hey, you can never have too much barbecue sauce!

Now comes sandwich assembly time. The bread is coated with a mayonnaise/butter mixture (I know...I ate salads for two days after this), and placed in a non-stick pan...

While it was cooking, I laid down the foundation of cheddar cheese. You are supposed to use those squares of "cheese type product", but I refuse to use fake cheese...layering commencing....

Then, the cooled and cut macaroni and cheese....

Then, the leftover barbecue pork.....

And of course, since it's not decadent enough.....a layer of the caramelized onions!

You then grill up the sandwich like you would a normal grilled cheese sandwich. That top slice also has a cheddar cheese layer as well.

How do you achieve golden crispy-ness without a panini press? Use a cast iron, or heavy skillet....this is how I did mine....

The result? Lets just say this....after tasting how rich and delicious this sandwich was, I told myself that I would only eat half of it. But, somewhere along the way, my brain thought about how good hot sauce would be on it......and, well.....it was gone!

The moral of the story? Be careful when attempting to re-create a dish you see on TV....you might be lurking in dangerously tasty territory....behold the cheesy mac & rib goodness....

And yes, as you might have guessed....this is not diet food. Every now and again, even I stray to something that is less-than-healthy! So what! Variety IS the spice of life, after all.

Plus....I ate salad for lunch for two days after this.....and took fish oil......and shoveled snow.....and....and....and...OK, I think I mitigated any artery-clogging that went on in here!

What is your favorite food to indulge in when you are being "naughty"? Chocolate? Wine? Do tell !

Eat well, my friends.....and stay tuned for the two-day process of making Italian ciabatta bread from scratch! The crusty outside, the light-as-a-feather inside....oh my word.....gotta go eat something now! Love and kindness to all...

                                                                              Pixie